Some pics of my setup.
Arm and Hammer Detergent pail. - Square is easier to work with than round, it's not too deep, but deep enough. I don't want to have to mix of 3 gallons of solution just so it's at a reasonable height to work with, since this container is not as deep as a five gallon pail, I can mix up only 1 gallon of solution at a time, and still have it at a workable depth.
Heat lamp - I use this to heat up and maintain the temp of the solution at about 70 degrees. (my shop is normally only heated to about 50 degrees unless I am working in it). I painted a side of the pail black so it soaks up the heat much better.
Power supply - $59. Adjustable voltage and current. You'll note that the red light next to the current knob is lit, that means I am using the current control to adjust current until I get the voltage I want. Too complicated to get into here, but suffice it to say, if you keep voltage from 2-4 volts using the amperage control you should be fine, less volts for smaller parts, more for larger parts. Plating is strange in that you in general want to control current, but it also has to be at a certain voltage level to generate the chemical reactions you want. A power supply like this is great in that you can control either one. I found that if you go by the sometimes quoted 140ma per square inch, the voltage will be too low ....at least in my solution. Current will vary depending on the PH and conductivity of each recipe. And again ...there seems a WIDE variety of settings that will work.
In the picture the power suppy is reading 2.4 volts, and .68 amps (or 680ma)
Also seen are the two zinc anodes hanging one on either side.
JohnnyB
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